Review: ‘The Darkest Secret’ by Gena Showalter
The Darkest Secret
by Gena ShowalterSeries: Lords of the Underworld #7
Published by HQN Books on March 29th 2011
SubGenres: Paranormal Romance
Format: AudioBook, Paperback
Pages: 410
Source: Purchased
Audience: 18+/Rated R
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In this sexy new installment of Showalter's bestselling Lords of the Underworld series, the haunted Amun meets a woman who tempts him like no other...
Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when the immortal warrior is chained and isolated to protect those he loves, death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty.
Haidee is a demon-assassin, raised to despise Amun's kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame? But to save him, she must give herself body and soul...and face the wrath of a powerful adversary sworn to destroy her.
The Darkest Secret is the seventh novel in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. This wasn’t my first time reading Amun and Haidee’s book, but I’m glad I reread it so I could get a refresher on their story.
Amun is the Keeper of Secrets, and he’s one Lord that I wasn’t sure I would like his book since I didn’t know much about him, plus he didn’t speak much. I also was skeptical about the FMC he was going to end up with since she’s the one who unlived Baden, the Keeper of Distrust, but I trusted Gena’s writing and wasn’t disappointed. I knew there was a reason why Gena set up Amun with Haidee and vice versa.
Amun is the Lord who can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone near him, and he doesn’t speak much due to the demon that is inside him. I finally realized why he doesn’t speak, and it’s devastating what he has to endure, especially since he went to hell with some of the other Lords and hasn’t been the same since he went. He’s now a prisoner in his own home because something is not right with him, and he ends up meeting a fellow prisoner, Haidee, who the Lords brought back. Haidee is the hunter who unalived the Lords’ friend, Baden, years ago, and they know they can’t trust her because she despises their kind. Haidee, though, takes a liking to Amun because she mistakes him for a fellow hunter who happens to be her lover. She’s determined to help Amun, even though she shouldn’t because he’s demon-possessed, but there’s something about the Lord that sets her aflame and she can’t seem to stay away.
I’m surprised I ended up enjoying Amun and Haidee’s book because, again, I was skeptical as to why Gena made these two end up together. After all, Haidee despises the Lords and the Lords don’t care for her. Amun protected her from the Lords, and Haidee protected Amun from the demon inside him. Haidee ended up being a kick-butt heroine, and she just needed to get away from the hunters and learn from the Lords more. Amun needed someone like Haidee, too. I’ll never doubt Gena again.
It did take some time for Haidee to give in to those feelings she was having for Amun because she mistook him for the hunter she was seeing at first, but eventually, the spicy times came and it was scorching between the two characters.
I loved getting more of Strider’s and William’s POVs in this book, too. Poor Strider had feelings for someone, but that someone ended up with another Lord. He needed to have time for himself to have fun, and I loved how Gena was setting up his book, which I can’t wait to reread.
Overall, this is another page-turner from Gena Showalter, and I can’t wait to continue my reread of this series.
Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
Steam/Spice: 🌶 🌶.5
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the LOTU series, and I recommend reading in order.
Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. If you are a fan of Paranormal Romance/Fated Mates, this series is for you.
Genre/SubGenre(s): Romance | Paranormal Romance
Trope(s)/Element(s): Fated Mates | Enemies to Lovers | Mistaken Identity | Demon Possessed MMC | Hunter FMC
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About Gena Showalter
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of nearly 100 novels. Most stories fall under the genre of romance, be they paranormal, fantasy, contemporary, or young adult. She’s also co-authored a (delightfully quirky) cozy mystery series as well as a nonfiction guide about how to write a book in a year.
Gena is a dedicated mother, grandmother, and fur-mom. A woman under construction, whose life took a few unexpected turns the past few years. But she’s learned a lot and firmly believes her best days are ahead of her, not behind her. Chances are good she’s writing her next novel and already in love with the hero.
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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